Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Greenville, SC Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Greenville, SC

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 0.3% more expensive than Greenville, SC without rent, and 2.8% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 0.6% more expensive than Greenville, SC without rent, and 9.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$24.89 $24.89
-16.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$101 $101
-0.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$12.17 $12.17
-1.64%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$5.56 $5.56
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$3 $3
3.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.31 $2.31
4.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$6.12 $6.12
12.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$7.08 $7.08
19.35%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.97 $0.97
7.22%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.59 $3.59
15.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$4.38 $4.38
26.03%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$2.98 $2.98
56.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$12.52 $12.52
14.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$15.01 $15.01
-0.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$20.01 $20.01
-3.35%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$8.28 $8.28
-37.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.98 $1.98
-13.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$7.39 $7.39
-40.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$5.75 $5.75
-21.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$4.82 $4.82
-47.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$3.66 $3.66
-25.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.38 $2.38
2.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.21 $2.21
22.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$6.8 $6.8
123.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$14.99 $14.99
9.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.6 $1.6
46.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$2.95 $2.95
25.42%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$4.96 $4.96
-48.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
$50.8 $50.8
45.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$3.52 $3.52
-5.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.51 $1.51
-5.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$17.92 $17.92
41.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.82 $0.82
31.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$36.4K $36.4K
-10.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$24.5K $24.5K
6.83%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$160 $160
17.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$55 $55
15.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$62 $62
5.11%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$70.2 $70.2
9.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
$10.02 $10.02
30.04%
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$13.17 $13.17
13.36%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,697 $1,697
21.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$10K $10K
291.06%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$46.28 $46.28
38.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$46.46 $46.46
12.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$94.1 $94.1
1.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$139 $139
4.43%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,879 $1,879
26.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,477 $1,477
7.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$2,849 $2,849
67.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,397 $2,397
17.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$2,317 $2,317
54.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$2,215 $2,215
12.42%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Greenville, SC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$4,271 $4,271
23.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.59
0.15%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Greenville, SC: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.